My thoughts are...

Mes pensées sont avec les Français dans cette période difficile...

Must be Japanese...

Hi friends,

Hope you are keeping well.

Shockingly, I got atopic eczema at the tender age of 46!! Unbelievable!

Atopic eczema, also called atopic dermatitis is a common skin problem for small kids but they grow out of it once they establish their immune system. However, there are some adults who get it in their 30s and 40s. They are said to be allergic, having intense stress, have got dry skin etc.

Hurrah! It seems I am one of those unfortunate adults.

Common characteristics of these adults are, asthmatic and often getting hay fever…..yes , it is so me, isn’t it? Damn…

To ease the symptom, I started reducing sugar intake (good bye cakes and chocolates) and start eating more vegetables and sleep earlier.

I also got this and started taking it in smoothie.

This is spirulina powder. If you are not familiar with spirulina, there is always good old Wikipedia.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spirulina_(dietary_supplement)

And this is my spirulina smoothie. Does not look particularly glamourous or appetising, is it?

Spirulina is a kind of sea algae, isn’t it? You know the green stuff floating in water. Not seaweed, bit more fluffy thing. I think it is closer to fungus than weeds.

As we live in modern world, we now know it contains lots of nutritious but, I just wonder who on earth started eating such weird thing.

Must be Japanese…..lol.

Watch your...

Watch your thoughts for they become words,
watch your words for they become actions,
watch your actions, for they become habits,
watch your habits for they become your character,
watch your character for it becomes your destiny.

—Ralph Waldo Emerson

Church Cottage

Hi friends,

Hope you enjoyed the lovely weather yesterday. It was bit chilly this morning, wasn’t it?

I had been busy looking for a place to live in South Warwickshire and found a little cottage in a picturesque village.

This is the cottage I am moving into. It is 300 years old.

Living Room.

Although this is supposed to be a living room, I will use this room as a dining room. As you may remember, my favourite dining table is 2m long x 1m wide solid oak and this is the only room I can place such a bulky thing.

Bed Room

This is really a petty room. Although it is small, it has got certain charm and I envisage myself spending more time in this room. This will be my sitting room. I have 2 bed rooms, so the other room will be used as a main bed room.

I should be settling down by my birthday. Wait for my invite for special green tea here. 

See you soon.

Breakfast and Lunch

Happy Spring Cleaning - Clothing Part1

Hi friends,

I am moving out from the lovely cottage in Kineton at the end of April. It has been happy six years and I would like to express my humble gratitude to the best landlord any tenant could wish for.

He has been looking after me and other tenants so well but decided to sell everything to enjoy his retirement. It is sad but I wish him and his wife happy retirement and all the best in the future.

Prior to the moving, I decided to start sorting out the clothes, since it is my spring event anyway.

I have more dresses than any other clothing, because I am always wearing a dress at work.

Well, I have to admit, I have lots of dresses, but they are my work clothing. I wear them all the time.

Then, jeans. Skinny ones,  wide-legged ones, rolled-up ones, 2 cropped ones.

Coats and a winter jacket.

Cardigans and a bolero.

Jackets.

I only own one suit.

As the number is indicating, I hardly wear them, once or twice in a year.  I do not like spending money on things I do not often use, so the above trousers suit came from Sainsbury’s but they are decent enough, aren’t they?

Skirts.

You have seen 50 items of what I have in my wardrobe. Let’s see what else I will keep.  

Spring cleaning continues….

Healthy! - Rice Salad with Poached Egg

Hi friends,

Don’t you sometimes get the moment that you become desperate for a certain food?

I do. On Easter Sunday, I was dying for rockets. Not the one NASA is spending fortune on but the green bitter leaves you can find in posh salad.

Good old Waitrose was closed on Bank Holiday Monday. Damn.

I became so desperate and Googled opening hours of Sainsbury’s, Tesco and Morrison’ s to check which one opens earliest.  How sad is that!

Since Monday, I kept eating rockets and now,  I do not wish to see them for few months.

Rice salad with poached egg.

As well as rockets, there are some salad leaves. I used onions, asparagus, shiitake mushrooms, spring onions and sweet corns for fried rice. It is curry flavoured rice, similar to Biriyani.

It was so good with a poached egg. Yummmm….. 

Giggling Squid

Hi friends,

I had a lovely meal with great friends at contemporary Thai restaurant called Giggling Squid.

I don’t know why but I could not remember the name and kept calling it Laughing Squad.

It is located at the corner of High Street. I cannot remember what it was there before but it was nicely refurbished. Inside of the restaurant is much spacious than it looks from the entrance.

Starters.

Main dishes.

Really nice food and I enjoyed it. Thanks folks, for the fun evening. 

23, High Street, Stratford upon Avon
http://www.gigglingsquid.com/branches/stratford.html

Hathaway Tea Rooms

Hi friends,

Normally, I avoid Stratford-upon-Avon during Eater holiday as it becomes No-Go zone.  Totally packed with tourists, nowhere to park, and long queue everywhere.

However, when I got an invite from my lovely friends, how could I possibly refuse?

We went to Hathaway Tea Rooms in High Street. Because of its location, it can be rather touristy but hey ho, Stratford is touristy after all.

This is their afternoon tea. From the top, there were 4 fancy cakes.

In the middle, there was 1 scone with cream and jam. 

Then, in the bottom, you can see finger sandwiches, can’t you?  You can select 3 different sandwiches out of 8 or 10 – I cannot remember exactly how many but there are good selections. I chose ham & mustard, cream cheese & cucumber, and egg & cress.

Off course, it comes with a pot of English tea. Although it was really busy, members of staff were very friendly and accommodating. We had good time there.

£12.99 at No.19 Hathaway Tea Rooms, High Street, Stratford-upon-Avon.

http://www.hathawaytearooms.com

Happy Easter Presies!

Hi friends,

Happy Easter. May this spring brings you good fun and laugh.

I would like to express my true gratitude for all of you who have been so generous and sweet. Yet again, I have to upload the article with this topic – Presie!!

Rose-shaped candle with scent of Jasmine.

Necklace.

Easter chocolate.

More Easter chocolates.

Flowers. Got 3 bouquets in the same week but since I do not have a vase at home, I used cups and bowls instead.

And rice crackers and crisps from Japan.

God bless MT. It isn’t a simple task to bring so many rice crackers without squashing in a suitcase. He is my good colleague and a keen mountaineer. He often goes to Japan to climb Japan Alps. It horrified me when he told me all about his latest climbing experience there…

Boys are boys no matter how old they have become. Ladies, don’t you agree?

Happy Easter. Have great fun! 

Happy

Hi friends,

It has been bit chilly, hasn’t it? I saw snow drops and daffodils on the side of the road I use for commuting. Spring should be approaching. I cannot feel it, though.

Summer time will start soon, won't it? I think it is about time for me to do some real spring cleaning, since de-clattering is my hobby.

This time, I am keen to make myself happier. Yes, I am a happy bunny but I have been bit depressed, to be honest, due to the things recently happened at home and at work. I should be OK, though.

As I said before, it is us who create the meanings and value to the things around us. This time, much to my annoyance, I was making unnecessary anxieties by myself. Don’t ask me what they are, friends. I am a great believer of law of attraction. I do not talk about anything negative since I will be trapped by the thoughts. I will keep myself positive until the storm leaves me alone. I know how to endure and that is what I am good at.

I recently read an interesting book ready by a psychologist in US.  It was quite enchanting and uplifting piece of work. It made me happy and whilst I was driving to work, still feeling happy, this song was on the radio.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y6Sxv-sUYtM

It is a great synchronicity. Whether it is synchronicity or coincidence, it is up to us, isn’t it? 

And that is how we live, isn’t it?

Wishing you a good weekend.

Breakfasts and What Consultants Need

Hi friends,

Had a supper with two gents from Germany on Thursday. Although I do not like eating in the evening, I agreed to have some snack. It was before 5:00pm and as I had no time for lunch, I was starving. I had honey mustard chicken wraps and a bottle of sparkling water, strictly no puddings.

I know, what you want to say. No pudding, no joy.

However, these guys were great fun.  I know them for years but have not seen them for months , so it was good to see what they have been up to in these days.

When we were talking about some consultants, F said, “do you know what they need to do their job?”

“Expertise, I guess.”

“No. First of all, they need grey hair like mine, so they look experienced. Then, haemorrhoids.”

What?

“So they look concerned.”

…..Yeah, true. I guess, they have to sit leaning forward and can look as if they are sharing a pain with you.  Who said German people have no sense of humour? 

I liked the joke but it was bit embarrassing when young girls at the next table looked us with funny faces when "H" word came out so loudly….oops!!

Then, we were talking about the old machines in a plant they were visiting in the following day and they said,

“Well, these machines are as old as we are by now, aren’t they?”

“What do you mean by we?”

“Look, we may look like 15 years apart, but there are only 15 months or so between us, right?”

Well, gentlemen, you should know how to look after yourselves, that is, sunscreen and good breakfasts.  

My friends, the usual topic – my breakfasts on Saturday and Sunday.

As Easter is approaching, I got this from Waitrose.

Hot Cross Buns with butter…. Bunny chocolates are Easter presie from the gents.

They are my little guilty pleasures…yummm.

Anti-aging - Things Really Work

Hi friends,

How have you been? I had been on the emotional roller coaster for a couple of weeks, but feeling much more settled since last Tuesday.

Anyway, my dear ladies, the following is the secret I would like to share this time. The things which really work.

Light Duo – green light is for hyper pigmentation and yellow light is to promote collagen production under skin.

Hydro Mask – after 20 minutes or so, skin will become truly hydrated.

Then, my latest craze, Revitalush, Limited Version. Yes, ladies “limited version” – how can I resist?

Wow! Kenichi Ebina

Hi friends,

You might have watched this  if you are in the US, but, my friends in Europe.

Watch this and scream. This man is amazing!!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cn-NsWRtaSY

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2s7b72kiKJY

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u6zg1UbXuI0

My favourite plates and bowls, then breakfast

Hi friends,

I like things with some character. They are what I bought recently. Plates and bowls.

Very simple, almost plain but you can see some character in them, can’t you? I can use them for almost any kind of meals.

Then, my usual topic. My breakfast this morning.

My good friend S gave me homemade Siu Mai (Chinese dumplings) and I had them with Japanese citrus soy sauce called Ponzu. They were divine. Thank you. 

Girlie Lunch in London

Hi friends,

I went to London last Sunday to join the (middle-aged) girlie lunch. The venue was the Chinese restaurant in Baker Street. There were 8 ladies including my good old friend K and myself, all in their beautiful 40s.

These ladies are either K’s or Y’s clients. K and Y are running own beauty business and doing remarkably well.

I had great inspiration from those gorgeous ladies and enjoyed myself immensely. Although I like spending time with chunky engineers who cannot speak without swearing, it was really refreshing to be with elegant ladies, have beautiful meals and enjoy girlie conversation. Nice change from my daily life.

We had some chow mien, dumplings, rice, and vegies. They were all delicious. We had a bottle of pink sparkling wine, too.  The bill came as £23 per head. Considering the location, I think they are reasonably priced.

Phoenix Palace, near Baker Street Tube Station.

Thank you

Yet again, there are generous people around me and they gave me these.

Thank you. I appreciate time you spent to choose your present for me. I am grateful for your kind thoughts.

Brunch and Bento

Hi friends,

My breakfast cum lunch over the weekend. Also, the bento box I took to work on Friday.